Repartee
by Kelly of the midnight dawn
Summary: A series of post eps showing little moments in Daniel and Kate's relationship. Spoilers are a given. Review please. Strong hints of Pieretti


**Repartee **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Perception. **

**A/N: Just a few short post eps I put together. Mainly I wrote these to help me get over some writer's block. Let me know which one you like best. Moderate spoilers. **

**Paris**

He sat alone, staring out the hotel window at the Paris skyline. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear her approach. When she laid her hand on his shoulder he looked up, expecting to see Natalie, come to taunt him with all the things he should have or could have done. When his eyes met the sympathetic gaze of Kate Moretti he was pleasantly surprised.

"Mind if I sit?" she asked.

He nodded and moved over to make room for her.

"I'm sorry about Miranda," she told him.

"Can't be helped," he attempted to sound dismissive and failed. He really didn't want to talk about this right now. "Schizophrenia's just something not a lot of people can deal with."

"That's her fault Daniel, not yours," Kate said firmly.

Daniel shook his head "Look," he told her "I appreciate the pep talk but I really don't want to talk about this right now." His tone was harsh, unnecessarily harsh.

Kate got to her feet "You wanna be left alone to wallow in self pity? I can take a hint." She was gone before Daniel could make an attempt at an apology.

"She was reaching out to you Daniel," Natalie chose that inopportune moment to make her appearance.

Daniel sighed and buried his face in his hands "You are no help."

**Painless**

Daniel raised his mug of tea "To Kate and Donnie!" The sentiment was echoed around the local diner followed by the sound of glasses clinking. The impromptu engagement party began to buzz with conversation again.

The bride to be clinked her glass against Daniel's mug "Not the most inspired toast," she teased.

"I'll think of something better for the wedding," Daniel promised.

"I'll hold you to it," Kate spun away, returning to Donnie's side.

Daniel sat back down and contemplated the rather questionable looking tossed salad that sat before him.

He was happy for them, of course he was. They were his friends after all. To not be happy for them would be petty. So he was happy, just not wholeheartedly happy. Though whether it was because of his recent breakup with Miranda or something else that he wasn't consciously ready to admit to himself yet, he wasn't sure.

Kate whirled past where he was sitting as Donnie spun her around in a rhythm less dance to the opening theme to the evening news which emanated from the TV above the bar.

The FBI agent and the neuroscientist locked eyes for the briefest of moments and Daniel smiled. For Kate's sake, he would fake wholehearted happiness.

**Prologue**

It had been a long day. No one was debating that. Daniel was hanging around Kate's desk waiting for Kate to give him a ride home. She was just finishing up some paperwork on the case they'd just closed.

Kate looked up from the files to find Daniel absorbed in his cup of tea. She found herself staring. What small miracle prevented Rosenthal from killing Daniel while she'd been in D.C.? She was glad of that miracle. She couldn't imagine her life now without Daniel Pierce.

Daniel looked up and caught her staring "What?" he asked, feeling completely unarmed by her gaze.

"Just thinking," she replied.

"About...?" he prompted.

"How glad I am," she told him as her focus returned to the papers on her desk.

"For what exactly?" Daniel prompted again. In the past couple days he'd learned of over two dozen murders committed by his psychiatrist, a man that, despite his dislike, Daniel had at least partially trusted. Glad was not one of the emotions Daniel was feeling right now.

Kate smiled softly as she finished filling out the last form "Lots of things," she responded vaguely as she gathered up her belongings.

"Such as," Daniel pressed as they walked through the FBI building in the direction of Kate's car.

"Well," Kate began "We took a prolific serial killer off the streets today."

"Yeah," Daniel agreed grudgingly.

"We brought closure to all those families who otherwise would have gone on believing that their loved ones died drug addicts."

Daniel nodded "That's something," he agreed.

They were standing outside now in the soft glow of a street lamp. Kate turned and placed a hand on Daniel's forearm "And today in Rosenthal's office, I'm glad he Chose to harm himself instead of attacking you."

There was silence between the two for a long moment. Their eyes locked in the glow of the street light. An unspoken understanding passed between them. Daniel smiled softly at her "And I'm glad that you were close by."

She leaned in closer and for a brief moment Daniel thought, with a flicker of hope, that she might kiss him. Instead she gave him a hug "Always, Daniel."

**Silence**

"No answer," Kate sighed heavily as she reclaimed her seat beside Daniel.

"That doesn't mean anything," Daniel attempted to assure her "He's still probably schmoozing Chicago's political elite and the deep pocketed, highly opinionated."

Kate nodded "You're right," she didn't sound so sure.

Daniel turned to face her fully "I highly doubt Donnie is stupid enough to cheat on you a second time."

"Thanks, that's really reassuring," Kate replied sarcastically.

"I'm gonna tell you something," in a moment of sheer brashness, Daniel reached out and took her hand "When I first met Donnie, I didn't think much of him."

Kate laughed "Is that supposed to be some big state secret or something?"

"But I never told you or anyone why," Daniel continued, choosing to push ahead before he lost his nerve "Before I'd even met him I'd decided that he had to be one of the biggest idiots in the world," he took a deep breath "Because any man who would cheat on you couldn't have two brain cells to rub together."

Kate smiled softly at the sentiment. She realized that Daniel had dropped her hand. Belatedly she realized she missed the contact. She leaned slightly in Daniel's direction "So you think there's no way he'll cheat on me again?"

"If he does I'll be happy to provide you with an alibi," Daniel replied conspiratorially.

Kate laughed again. This little chat had done a lot to make her feel better. She leaned over and gave Daniel a hug "Thank you."

Daniel tentatively returned the hug, worried that if he wasn't careful, he'd never be able to let her go "Anytime."

**A/N: for a much longer, much better post "Silence" story check out Belle D'arcy's "Dazzling Stars" it's a truly great read. Also if this story does well I may write more post eps. Please review**.


End file.
